THE CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST

Glaciers have sculptured much of America's beauty. Yet, there are few places today where glaciers still wage their ancient battle against the land. South central Alaska's 5.6-million-acre Chugach National Forest is one of these places - a land of glacial diamonds set on a ring of fire. The slow, relentless force of glacial ice has been a formidable land-shaping agent.

For more than 10,000 years, the lands of what is now the Chugach National Forest have been inhabited by Alaskan Eskimos and Indians. Place names such as Valdez, Cordova, Zaikof Bay, and Prince William Sound, show that the lands, waters, and natural resources of the Forest have attracted the attention of the Spanish seeking empires; Russians, seeking furs; and the English, seeking a northwest passage to the Pacific. Americans too, have sought much in Alaska, from whale oil to petroleum oil, fish, gold, copper, coal, furs, timber, and strategic defense. Following the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, the lands surrounding Prince William Sound became the focus of mineral exploitation. An impending private monopoly on the reserves and transportation of its coal and copper motivated President Theodore Roosevelt to designate the lands of the Chugach National Forest in 1907, originally some 23 million acres in size.

Chugach National Forest is the second largest Forest in the National Forest System, and is roughly the same size as the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined. One third of the Chugach is composed of rocks and moving ice. The remainder is a diverse and majestic tapestry of land, water, plants and animals. The mountains, lakes, and rivers of the Kenai Peninsula, the islands and glaciers of Prince William Sound, and the copious wetlands and birds of the Copper River Delta make this National Forest a mecca for adventurers.

The Chugach is widely known for its Salmon, Dolly Varden, Lake Trout, and Rainbow Trout fishing. Many sport hunters are drawn to the Forest by the trophy-size moose of the Copper River, the brown bear of Prince William Sound, the dall sheep and mountain goats of the Chugach Mountains, caribou of the Kenai Peninsula, and Sitka black tailed deer throughout. Numerous non-game species, waterfowl, and marine mammals attract large numbers of wildlife viewers each year. The Chugach provides something for everyone, whether you prefer the fast pace or the slow, the summer or winter, the comfort of a developed campground or the wilds of the back country. The Chugach National Forest offers a spectrum of quality recreational experiences, and incorporates principles of universal accessibility in both facilities and programs, Glacier Jet Alaska specializes in ensuring this universal means of access to the remote back county, so visitors of all ranges of health and physical abilities can be a part of the drama and mystery of the Forest.

RESOURCE ACTIVITIES / RECREATION ACTIVITIES
The Chugach is primarily a "recreation, fish and wildlife forest," however, a few small timber sales and mining operations round out the forests varied activities. Commercial timber species include western hemlock, Sitka spruce, cottonwood, white spruce, and other mixed species. Mining operations include almost 3,000 gold mining claims, and a dozen gravel/stone permits. Opportunities abound, year-round. You can cut a cut a Christmas tree, pan for gold, battle a salmon, meet a moose, see a glacier up close, (Glacier Jet Alaska’s specialty!) hike a trail, relax in a campground, overnight in a remote cabin, or drive the Seward Highway. The Seward Highway, Alaska’s only National Scenic Byway, winds south along Turnagain Arm from Anchorage to the Glacier Jet Alaska launch facilities, then through the majesty of the Kenai Peninsula to the town of Seward. But remember, the roadway is only the beginning: The majority of the Forest is accessible primarily by aircraft, boat, or foot.

Camping. Fifteen campgrounds on the Chugach can accommodate 2,000 people at 408 campsites. If you prefer a more primitive setting, there are over 2 million acres of back country open for camping - no permit required. There are also more than 40 public use cabins available for both summer and winter use.

Hiking. Put on your skis, lace up your boots, or climb on your mountain bike! More than 200 miles of trails are your pathways to clear mountain lakes, rushing streams, alpine meadows, and even a glacier or two.

Wildlife viewing, hunting, and fishing. The fish and wildlife of the Chugach provide outstanding opportunities for photographers, anglers, hunters, and others. There are probably more bear, moose, eagles, marsh and shorebirds, migratory waterfowl, whales, sea lions, seals, sea otters, puffins, and even glacial ice worms on the Chugach than any National Forest in the lower 48.

Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. Located in the spectacular Portage Valley only one drainage away from the Twenty Mile drainage which Glacier Jet Alaska operates on, the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is the focal point for much of what people come to the northland to see - glaciers and wildlife. The most visited recreation site in Alaska, the Visitor Center is devoted to the interpretation of glaciers and their effects on life and the landscape. Many visitors combine a trip to the Visitor Center and Alyeska Ski Resort with a trip on the Twenty Mile for a firsthand close up experience of the Chugach and it’s glaciated terrain.

Cultural and historical resources. The rich history and pre-history of the lands now managed by the Chugach National Forest provide numerous opportunities to peak into the roots of the peoples of this land. Portions of the Historic Iditarod Trail can be hiked, biked, skied, explored by snow machine, and of course - dog sledded. Remnants of early mining ventures abound, providing clues into that rough and rugged period of Alaska history. And a partnership between the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the Chugach National Forest has resulted in a tremendously successful Kenaitze Interpretive Site off the Sterling Highway, where visitors can learn about the cultural history and values of these people.

Canoeing, kayaking, boating, and cruising. Whether you choose to follow one of the Chugach's unequalled "rivers to adventure" in a kayak or raft, or lounge in the lap of luxury onboard a cruise ship or tour boat in Prince William Sound, the waters of the Chugach are among its most treasured resources. Abundant sea life, waterfowl, glaciers, terrestrial wildlife, and breath-taking vistas make the experience unforgettable.

Accessible Recreation Opportunities. Four of the campgrounds on the Chugach National Forest provide wheelchair accessibility, as do most of the numerous roadside exhibits. In addition, four of the public use cabins are also accessible for people with mobility impairments. Interpretive and information programs are developed using a variety of different media and learning styles, to ensure accessibility to persons with all types of abilities. Numerous commercial operators and outfitters provide boat and plane access to the heart of some of the most wild and remote areas of the Forest, allowing visitors of all ages and abilities to experience the wonder of the Chugach.

Other Nearby Points of Interest. The Chugach National Forest is surrounded by numerous other areas of interest, including: Kenai Fjords National Park, near Seward; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, along the western boundary of the Forest; Chugach State Park, the town of Girdwood and Alyeska Ski Resort with many fine dining establishments and sightseeing opportunities, the Alaska Jade Company, the historic Crow Creek Mine, and the city of Anchorage, near the northwest corners of the Forest; and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, bordering the northeast edge

GLACIERS
Like great rivers of ice, glaciers have sculpted mountains and carved out valleys. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. Most of the world's glaciers are found near the Poles, but glaciers exist on all of the world's continents though they require specific climatic conditions. Most are found in regions of high snowfall in winter and cool temperatures in summer. These conditions ensure that the snow that accumulates in the winter isn't lost (by melt, evaporation, or calving) during the summer. A glacier forms when snow accumulates over time, turns to ice, and begins to flow outwards and downwards under the pressure of its own weight.

If accumulated snow survives one melt season, it is considered to be firn. The snow and firn are compressed by the overlying snow, and the buried layers slowly grow together to form a thickened mass of ice. The pressure created from the overlying snow compacts the underlying layers, and the snow grains become larger ice crystals randomly oriented in connected air spaces. These ice crystals can eventually grow to become several centimeters in diameter. As compression continues and the ice crystals grow, the air spaces in the layers decrease, becoming small and isolated. This dense glacial ice usually looks somewhat blue.

Under the pressure of its own weight and the forces of gravity, a glacier will begin to move, or flow, outwards and downwards. Valley glaciers flow down valleys, and continental glaciers (ice sheets) flow outward in all directions from a central point. Sliding occurs when the glacier slides on a thin layer of water at the bottom of the glacier. This water may come from glacial melting due to the pressure of the overlying ice, or from water that has worked its way through cracks in the glacier. When a glacier moves rapidly, internal stresses build up in the ice which cannot be relieved by deformation alone, and cracks (called crevasses) form at the surface of the glacier.

Glaciers dramatically impact their surrounding environment by reshaping the underlying and surrounding landscape as they move, through both erosion and deposition. Glaciers erode the rock underneath them. A glacier can "carve" a valley, wearing away rocks and soil through abrasion and plucking up and moving large pieces of rock and debris. The glacier pushes this earth and rock forward as it advances, almost like a conveyor belt, and dumps it to the side along the way or at the end of the glacier (deposition). Depositional features include moraines, drumlins, and eskers.

Eventually the glacier stops growing and begins to retreat. As large glaciers retreat, the underlying ground surface is typically scoured of most materials, leaving only scars. Glacier retreat, melt, and ablation, result from increasing temperature, evaporation, and wind scouring. Ablation is a natural and seasonal part of glacier life. As long as snow accumulation equals or is greater than melt and ablation, glacier health is maintained.

Throughout advance and retreat, glacial debris (till) is jostled in all directions. Till is thrust forward with the glacier, brushed aside as the glacier pushes past less mobile objects, such as a mountainside, or drawn along on the glacier's journey. Glaciers grow and shrink in response to changing climate. Typically glacier movement and shape shifting occur over long periods of time (hundreds to thousands of years), but within historic memory such transformations in fewer than 100 years are not unknown.

By their movement, glaciers mark change and for this reason - among others - scientists study glaciers. By monitoring glaciers over time and around the world, researchers construct valuable records of glacial activity and their response to climate variation. By comparing contemporary observations with historical and environmental records, such as agricultural records, pre-historic temperature or climate profiles, glaciologists acquire and provide an enhanced understanding of global processes and change.